New Season of 'Señora Acero, La Coyote' Premieres November 6 on Telemundo

Next Monday marks the return of the new season of the Telemundo novela Señora Acero, La Coyote. Dubbed a "Super Series" by the network, the show stars Carolina Miranda, Luis Ernesto Franco, Michel Duval, Jorge Zárate, Diego Cadavid, Ana Lucía Domínguez, Oscar Priego, Rodrigo Guirao, Alberto Agnesi, Aurora Gil, Oka Giner, Mauricio Henao and Jonathan Islas, with the special participation of Gaby Espino.

The new season unfolds within the painful context of the undocumented immigrants who cross the border from Mexico to the United States in search of the American Dream. Señora Acero, La Coyote continues the story of Vicenta Acero (Miranda), a strong woman who has carved a path for herself in a male-dominated world and fights for better treatment of the many immigrants who struggle to cross one of the world’s longest borders. La Coyote now faces enemies on both sides of the law who are out for revenge and to destroy the Acero Quintanilla dynasty.

Watch new episodes of Señora Acero, La Coyote starting Monday, November 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Telemundo Announces 2017-2018 Programming Slate

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises have announced their lineup programming for the 2017-2018 television season, featuring over 850 hours of new formats and multiplatform original content, at a press conference today. Telemundo's new primetime programming line-up features three super series including the much-anticipated return of the worldwide success La Reina del Sur, and five new mini-series, including a series based on the life of renowned music icon Luis Miguel and El Secreto de Selena, the story behind the death of the beloved Mexican-American singer, Selena Quintanilla.

Check out the super series, series, and mini-series announced below.

SUPER SERIES

El Señor de los Cielos (The Lord of the Skies) – Starring Rafael Amaya, Fernanda Castillo, Carmen Aub and Mariana Seoane, the most successful Super Series™ returns for a sixth season as Aurelio Casillas has recovered all the fortune he lost and finally feels the need to retire. But it's payback time, the hatred he sowed since he sold his soul to the demon of drug trafficking is now knocking at his door with the face and blood of the many innocent people he destroyed. Aurelio will understand that his riches are an illusion and that after having been the great hunter he was, he will now become the prey. The women he mistreated, the men he betrayed, the political puppets he put in power, and even his own children will turn against him. Has the time come for Aurelio to pay for his sins?

'Señora Acero 3, La Coyote' Ends Run as Top Spanish-Language Series at 10 PM

Gaby Espino

Monday night's third season finale of Telemundo's highly-rated Señora Acero 3, La Coyote ranked #1 in Spanish-language prime delivering 2,642,000 total viewers and 1,508,000 adults 18-49, according to Nielsen. During its full run, the Super Series averaged 2,091,000 total viewers and 1,180,000 adults 18-49, ranking as the #1 Spanish-language program at 10pm, outperforming Univision among total viewers by +19% (2,091,000 vs 1,753,000), adults 18-49 by +47% (1,180,000 vs. 805,000), and by +63% among Adults 18-34 (587,000 vs. 360,000).

Locally, Telemundo ranked as the #1 program at 10pm among adults 18-49, regardless of language, in Los Angeles, Houston (also among total viewers), Phoenix and Orlando. The finale also ranked as the #1 Spanish-language program among total viewers and adults 18-49 in New York, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Denver, Tampa and Boston.

On the day of the finale, Señora Acero 3, La Coyote ranked as the #1 most socially engaged Spanish-language program during primetime social. The Super Series generated 2,200,000 million global native views on Facebook and 113,000 global actions across social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). During the full season, the series generated 10,600,000 global actions across social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and 96 million global Facebook video views.

Señora Acero 3, La Coyote is an original TELEMUNDO production filmed by Argos Televisión, with Mariana Iskandarani and Marcela Mejía as executive producers.

Source: NPM LS+D IMP. Strict Daypart & PAV, 10p-11p. 7/19/16-12/5/16. TEL vs UNI, UMA, AZA, ETV. Adobe Analytics US Only; ListenFirst; Shareablee, 12/5/2016. Adobe Analytics US Only; Shareablee, 7/19/16-12/5/16.

Gaby Espino Joins 'Señora Acero 3, La Coyote'

Gaby Espino

Gaby Espino has joined the cast of the hit Telemundo super series Señora Acero 3, La Coyote, where she will play the role of Indira Cárdenas, a Homeland Security agent whose arrival on the scene has drastic implications for La Coyote’s fate. Since its premiere, Señora Acero 3, La Coyote has ranked as the number one Spanish-language television program in its time slot, among adults 18-49 and 18-34.

Indira Cárdenas is the newly appointed head of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office in El Paso, Texas. A disciplined and determined woman whose beauty is matched by her tenacity and intelligence, Indira’s efficiency and directness make her a force to be reckoned with, making her Vicenta’s (Carolina Miranda) worst nightmare. Her demeanor immediately puts her at odds with fellow agent Daniel Phillips (Luis Ernesto Franco), who’s systematic, analytical and scientific approach creates obvious and dangerous tensions with his new boss. But Indira isn’t all she appears: She leads a double life, with a shocking secret in her past that is sure to take viewers’ breath away.

Actress and television host Gaby Espino is one of the most popular Latin personalities on social media and has gained widespread acclaim throughout Latin America since her debut in Venezuela. Gaby has starred in a number of successful original productions for Telemundo, including Santa Diabla, Más Sabe el Diablo, Sin Vergüenza, Ojo por Ojo, and many more. She has hosted top awards ceremonies such as the Billboard Latin Music Awards and Premios Tu Mundo, as well as the music competitions Buscando Mi Ritmo and Yo Me Llamo. Hand in hand with her popularity as an actress and television personality, Gaby has graced the covers of countless international publications and has been featured as one of People en Español’s “50 Most Beautiful People” and Siempre Mujer’s “Inspirational Women.”

Señora Acero 3, La Coyote is an original Telemundo production filmed by Argos Televisión. Set on the border of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, the show is currently in production in Mexico. Roberto Stopello wrote the script, with Danni Gavidia and Camilo Villamizar directing and Mariana Iskandarani and Mónica Vizzi as executive producers.

Telemundo Continues Ratings Winning Streak

Telemundo ranks as the #1 Spanish-language network during Monday-Friday primetime among adults 18-49 continuing its historic winning streak in Spanish-language television for a fifth consecutive week, according to Nielsen. Fueled by the success of its new primetime series – Silvana Sin Lana at 8 p.m., Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraíso at 9 p.m. and Señora Acero 3, La Coyote at 10 p.m., Telemundo delivered 810,000 adults 18-49 and 383,000 adults 18-34.

For the week of August 15, and during Monday-Friday 8-11 p.m. primetime across all broadcast and cable networks regardless of language, Telemundo ranked as the #2 network among adults 18-34 beating ABC, CBS, FOX and Univision. The network also ranked #3 among adults 18-49 regardless of language, beating ABC, FOX and Univision.

For over a year, Telemundo has been the #1 Spanish-language network at 10pm, driven by the Telemundo Super Series™-- El Senor de Los Cielos and Señora Acero, among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34.

Source: Nielsen, NPM, L+SD. A18-34 (000) and A18-49 (000). 5 WKS (7/18/16-8/19/16). #1 SLTV net rank based on M-F 7-11pm. Regardless of language ranker based on M-F 8p-11p. Strict dayparts used.

TELENOVELA WATCH: 'Antes Muerta Que Lichita' and 'Señora Acero' Premiere Tonight, Plus a Summer Roundup

Antes Muerta Que Lichita premieres September 22 on Univision.
Photo Credit: Televisa

Is the telenovela in decline? There has not been a single hit telenovela in the US this year. Only two years ago, AMORES VERDADEROS averaged 4.5 million viewers a night; this year, only two telenovelas, MI CORAZÓN ES TUYO and HASTA EL FIN DEL MUNDO, have averaged even 3 million viewers and they concluded way back in May. A pair of telenovelas that concluded Monday, AMORES CON TRAMPA and EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS, failed to garner the usual final weeks ratings bump, limping to the finish line. The telenovelas replacing them: an apparent BETTY LA FEA rehash and the second season of maybe the worst narco-novela ever made are hardly propitious.

ANTES MUERTA QUE LICHITA (weeknights at 8 p.m. ET on Univision)
Telenovelas based on original scripts are all but extinct at Televisa. The largest producer of Spanish language telenovelas in the world averages a paltry one original telenovela a year, or about a one to seven ratio of original to remake/adaptation. This depressing reality is aggravated when their newest original telenovela, ANTES MUERTA QUE LICHITA, on the surface, looks so derivative of YO SOY BETTY, LA FEA, the most adapted, remade, and ripped-off telenovela of the past decade: an ugly duckling heroine in a bustling office setting. Even the vibrant colors of the sets shown in the promos for LICHITA recall the Tashlinesque interiors of the ABC version UGLY BETTY.

What ANTES MUERTA QUE LICHITA has in its favor is it is from a clever producer, Rosy Ocampo, all but ensuring LICHITA will be more palatable than the last two comedies Univision has aired in this time slot: the occasionally bearable MI CORAZÓN ES TUYO and the wretched AMORES CON TRAMPA. The worlds Ocampo creates in her comedies are stylized and cartoonish, but the acting is kept reasonably grounded. The vulgarity and mugging that plague Televisa comedies is usually kept in check in Ocampo productions, and she relies far less on dumb sound and visual effects.

'Señora Acero' Season 2 Premieres September 22 on Telemundo

The second season of the Telemundo's hit super series Señora Acero premieres on September 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The mega production, starring Blanca Soto, once again features an original theme song by Los Tucanes De Tijuana, a Mexican corrido titled “La venganza de Sarita,” composed by iconic lead singer Mario Quintero Lara.

As season two begins, Sara has been in jail for five years without a sentence, when an attack on her teenaged son Salvador (Michel Duval) leaves her determined to escape from Puente Grande Prison. The attempt ends in tragedy and a 25-year jail term. Fate has other plans, however, and Sara’s best friend, Aracely (Litzy), discovers the key piece of evidence to set her free. From that moment on, her enemies will have to reckon with the fury of Señora Acero.

Los Tucanes De Tijuana has a 28-year history as one of the leading Regional Mexican bands in the United States and Mexico. Their unique style has resulted in more than 14 million records sold around the world, 34 original albums, 68 Billboard radio hits, 30 RIAA-certified Platinum Records, 30 BMI Awards, a Latin Grammy, and countless other awards, honors and nominations.

The stellar cast for season two of Señora Acero includes many familiar faces from the first season, including Litzy, Lincoln Palomeque, José Luis Reséndez, Jorge Zárate, Aurora Gil, Alejandro Calva, Valentina Acosta, Alberto Agnesi, Alejandro García, Andy Zuno, Luciana Silveyra and Sergio Lozano, along with such new figures as Ana Lucía Domínguez, Rodrigo Guirao, Diego Soldano, Carla Hernández, Francisco Pakey Vázquez and Astrid Hernández. Also joining are young actors Michel Duval, Isabel Burr and Mauricio Henao.

The story that made Señora Acero a phenomenon with the audience, earning it some of the top ratings in the network’s history, is a Telemundo Studios production with an original script by Roberto Stopello (La Reina del Sur). Produced in Mexico by Argos Televisión, the Super Series is directed by Miguel Varoni (Señora Acero season one) and Carlos Villegas (El Señor de los Cielos), with Joshua Mintz and Mariana Iskandarani (El Señor de los Cielos) as executive producers.

'Señora Acero' Season Two Production Underway

Following a successful first season, Señora Acero (Mrs. Steel) has started production on a second season of the Telemundo super series starring Blanca Soto. Señora Acero tells the story of Sara Aguilar Bermúdez (Soto), a woman who goes from being an ordinary housewife to controlling a male-dominated criminal world. Respected by all and feared by many, she is known in money laundering circles simply as Señora Acero. Featuring a script by Roberto Stopello (La Reina del Sur), the second season of Señora Acero will be directed by Miguel Varoni (Sin Senos No Hay Paraíso) and Carlos Villegas (La Patrona, El Señor de los Cielos).

The second season of Señora Acero begins with Sara behind bars. She has been waiting five years for a sentence in her case when an attack on her son Salvador (Michele Duval), now a teenager, drives her into a desperate attempt to escape Puente Grande prison. This feat ends in tragedy and an extended sentence for another 25 years. It won’t be long, however, until her friend Aracely (Litzy) finds the key to her release. From that moment on, her enemies must prepare to face the fury of Señora Acero.

TELENOVELA WATCH: 'En la Boca del Lobo' Premiere; 'Reina de Corazones' Rushed Ending; Plus, 'Los Miserables,' 'La Gata,' 'El Chivo' and 'Señora Acero'

EN LA BOCA DEL LOBO premieres tonight on UniMás at 10 p.m. ET. It is a Colombian narco-novela produced by Sony and Teleset based on the book "At the Devil's Table: The Untold Story of the Insider Who Brought Down the Cali Cartel" by former L.A. Times journalist William C. Rempel. The title of the book is probably as much a synopsis as required, but more details from the press release:

“The story centers on Ricardo Salgado, an engineer and soldier who rises to become head of security for the godfather of the Cali cartel, one of the world’s largest crime organizations and at war with the Medellin Cartel. After losing his best friend and family, Ricardo has nothing else to lose. Looking for redemption in a world full of corruption, he’s willing to turn in the Cali Cartel to the CIA. But when the operation goes south, Ricardo see himself in the ‘wolf’s mouth’ and he must fight to stay alive.”

Luis Fernando Hoyos (ROSARIO TIJERAS) stars as Ricardo; and the cast features Carolina Acevedo (COMANDO ELITE) as Ricardo’s love interest, and Lucho Velasco (LA VIUDA NEGRA) and Ricardo Vesga (LA MARIPOSA) as two of the heads of the Cali Cartel.


REINA DE CORAZONES
Telemundo is giving the bum’s rush to REINA DE CORAZONES (weeknights at 8 p.m. ET), announcing it is in its final weeks while editing together three episodes a night into a single hour. It is rare for Telemundo to slice-and-dice their telenovelas in this fashion, but REINA DE CORAZONES is a special case because it was recorded long before airdate. In the past, Telemundo recorded their telenovelas close to airdate allowing for quick adjustments to story and character based on audience reaction. A flop telenovela would sometimes see drastic narrative shifts in an attempt to boost viewing figures, as when EL FANTASMA DE ELENA in a single week killed off a half-dozen characters and removed its supernatural angle or RELACIONES PELIGROSAS moved the students to the background and emphasized the storylines of the teachers and parents.

TELENOVELA WATCH: 'El Señor de los Cielos' Finale Airs Tonight; 'Señora Acero' Premieres Tuesday; 'Cosita Linda,' 'Quiero Amarte,' 'El Chivo' Debut This Week

Tonight is the finale of the second series of Telemundo's narco fantasy EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS at 10 p.m. ET. A success for the network, it seems likely there will be a third series, so it also seems likely tonight's finale will be as unsatisfying as last year's finale.

I did not care much for the first series of EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS and found this second series substantially worse. Indeed, I think EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS 2 is the worst telenovela I've seen this year. Sure, Telemundo's EN OTRA PIEL features worse acting, writing and production values, but EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS 2 is morally reprehensible in its deification of its drug lord protagonist.

I've mentioned in a previous article the crude tactics these narco-novelas use to manipulate viewer sympathies for their drug lord protagonists through the constant imperiling of their family members, but EL SEÑOR DE LOS CIELOS 2 takes this device to shameless extremes. Over the course of this season, the protagonist drug lord has had his young children threatened with a knife to their throats, his mother shot, lost a baby through a miscarriage, his son shot, his daughter kidnapped and finally his ex-wife shot. He is ever the wronged party, ever the victim, so his violent acts are always justified. Even a final hit gone wrong resulting in an unintended loss is presented so the scenes can ultimately be about his pain.

The persistent victimhood of the drug lord is accompanied with incessant lionization of his virility. Has any fictional character since the also vile James Bond needed such overkill to bolster his supposed sexual desirability? The female cast is virtually reduced to the role of harem. The only detractor is the cop played by Carmen Villalobos, whose role in this second series was reduced to little more than standing miffed with her hands on her hips and looking stupid, bested again and again by the intellectually superior drug lord.